[...] when using 4G, the EVO’s battery runs down alarmingly fast. In my tests, it didn’t last through a full day with 4G turned on. The carrier, in fact, is thinking of advising users to turn off the 4G network access when they don’t think they need it, to save battery life.

Here’s the thing: I didn’t know that I needed 4G until you provided me with a device capable of utilizing it. I was blissfully unaware of how drastically different the speeds were until you advertised it was “10x faster than 3G”.  So now you’ve put this awesome device in my hand but are going to kindly recommend that I put your main selling point on the back burner until I “need” it. The simple fact with most users is that once they have a killer feature, they need it all the time. This is like depositing a million dollars into someone’s bank account with the caveat that they can only withdraw $100 a day. Sure, you’re a millionaire, but at the end of the year you pull down a teacher’s salary.

Let’s get right to the heart of this thing:

If [Apple] could do the Mac all over again, it would use the iPhone OS. Don’t think of the iPad as a big iPod touch. Think of it, rather, as the new Mac—a new mode of home-based computing that Apple hopes will bubble up through its product line.

I understand the thinking here: From the outset, Apple has always had a keen eye for user experience and has tried to keep that tightly controlled, but by “doing it all over again” and starting with such a simple (and, by proxy, limited) operating system, they would have alienated what I believe to be their most important demographic: the fanatics who swear by the Mac for it’s ease of use, excellent software libraries, and seamlessness. These fanatics are the ones convincing their family members to go out and get Macs, they’re also the ones purchasing newer models and operating systems every two to three years.

Compound all that to the fact that the iPad will be for only the most casual of uses in its current incarnation; it’s nearly impossible to accomplish any sort of real work due to the lack of multi-tasking (which I’m sure will inevitably arrive). I couldn’t imagine how frustrated I’d be if I was working on a text-heavy website and constantly had to save and quit my code editor to hop over to check an email from the client and then quit that to hop over into iWork to read the latest document they sent me. It would be maddening.

The Mac is an open platform, and the iPad is closed. Anyone can write and distribute PC or Mac software or compatible gadgets, without having to have them verified or approved. That’s created an incredible pace of innovation, though it has its downsides, too, such as the incredible pace of malware innovation.

He had to throw PC into the mix in order to safely cite “malware innovation” since as far as my experience goes, you can count on one hand the legitimate threats to OS X as a platform, half of which require the user to have admin rights and install compromised software.

Obviously, the iPhone ecosystem has flourished under Apple’s benign dictatorship. But the whole ecosystem is reliant on that dictatorship remaining benign. (And even now people who enjoy BitTorrent would argue that it isn’t benign at all.)

I’m not really sure where BitTorrent plays a part in this at all, but ok.

I’ll admit I’m fearful, uncertain, and doubtful. Apple has fallen in love with end-to-end experiences, and I don’t want anyone other than me to have the last word on what I can install on my own home computer.

Apple has always been in love with end-to-end experiences, and of course no one wants to be told what they can and can’t install on their own computers, which is precisely the reason why a desktop environment will be in Apple’s future for years to come. The sheer amount of incredible developers on the Mac platform in tandem with all of the innovations to OS X are the exact reasons why it has flourished so much in these past few years.

The iPad is just another device that will likely carry the fabled “halo effect” that the original iPods touted: an experience so rich created by Apple that it actually motivates users to purchase Apple computers, and iPhones, and iPods, and so forth and so on. It’s clear that Apple is making boatloads of money from the mobile computing space, but I’m inclined to believe them when they say that the iPad is that in-between device for people who already have a laptop and an iPhone, as opposed to being the successor to the desktop environment.

First Things First: What It Is

It’s not a phone, it doesn’t have a camera, and half of the models won’t feature a persistent data connection — assertions of it being a giant iPhone or iPod Touch¹ are mainly from an aesthetic standpoint.  On the flip side, it’s less than a laptop: no physical keyboard (without the special dock OR an Apple Bluetooth keyboard from what I understand) and no fully-featured version of OS X. I’ve read from event attendees that when you plug the iPad in to sync, you’re actually able to browse through the folder structure a la the iPod Disk Mode of yesteryear, so we sway towards the laptop side of the fence.  It is obviously running a variant of iPhone OS, so we then swing back into this middle area, which is exactly where Jobs positioned it from the get-go.

Who Is It Good For?

I will admit that my initial reaction differs greatly from my feelings on the device today and a lot of that was based on speculation that the iPad was going to cost somewhere in the range of $1000 to $1200 dollars. For a grand, the iPad would’ve gone the way of the G4 Cube or the iPod Hi-Fi.  However, for half of that price it becomes a significantly more appealing device for a lot of people, myself included.

The first group I could see gobbling this device up would be media connoisseurs. Not necessarily people who frequently purchase media online (though I’m sure that will be the case), but rather people who have a massive collection of movies, music, eBooks, or even iPhone apps that want this stuff on-the-go or just at arm’s length:

• You want the answer to the Final Jeopardy question before that snarky-ass Trebek?  Pick up the iPad and Google it.
• Want something to do while you’re on the can?  iPad + The New York Times app should be handy.
• Bored on your hour-long train ride to work? Go ahead and catch up on your favorite TV show to ease the pain.
• Could you imagine if Logitech made a Harmony app for it? Best. Universal Remote. Ever.
• So forth and so on…

Another group of people who might dig this device are the casual computer users.  One of the first things I thought when I saw it was “Mom would friggin love that thing” and I’m pretty that most parents (hell, even some grandparents) could get accustomed to the iPad right quick. The learning curve for the most used tasks: web browsing, sending/checking email, and maybe the occasional game are so minimal and intuitive that I’m sure moms and dads would have a solid understanding in less than a day.

The third and final group are the ones that seem to be scrutinizing it the most.  The media professionals that thought this tablet was actually the third set of commandments never brought down from Mt. Sinai. They’re yelling about DRM and iPhone OS and AT&T and so many other nuancical things, which are all valid concerns, but there’s the simple fact that none of the yellers have even used the damn thing. I can see writing up a well thought-out list of pros and cons after using a demo unit or even just playing around with one in an Apple Store, but the fact remains that all of these people crying foul about how locked down the thing is haven’t even seen one outside of the Keynote video. I would estimate that 25% of them will completely change their tune after holding one in their hand and using it for 10 minutes.

Here’s a list of actual uses I could see as possible for a media professional with the iPad:

• A photographer showing off their portfolio or recently-taken on-site photographs
• A video editor preparing to show dailies to a director/producer
• A web designer showing off photo comps OR working website demos in Safari
• As a presentation tool to ensure none of your fancy Keynote animations are lost in the shuffle

I’ll admit that’s not the greatest list at the moment, and true all of those things are easily accomplished with a laptop, but keep in mind that this platform is in its infancy from a developer standpoint. I’m sure we’ll be inundated with a slew of apps that will allow us to do things faster and better, just like on the iPhone itself.

Flash Flood

Perhaps the astute noticed that I left out all of whining over lack of Flash support. The amount of people that are upset by this is ri-god-damn-diculous. I never thought twice about whether or not this tablet would support Flash, my assumption was always “No, and that’s a good thing.”

Flash has been a good platform for delivering video up until the recent advent of HTML5, which offers a far superior implementation in terms of ease of use and overall user experience (no plugins required, above all else). YouTube and Vimeo, two of the largest video sites on the internet, have embraced this open standard and the implementation is flawless  It’s not an accessible platform on it’s best day and soon even animations will be able to be fully supported with the CSS3 standard, so I can’t imagine that Adobe will have such a stranglehold in the online video and “rich UI” market for much longer.

For the one or two things that Flash does well, we must recall the egregious offenses some Flash developers are responsible for, not the least of which are: god-awful, seizure inducing banners, walk-in advertisements, and sites that are 100% flash-based (cue subtle nods to most restaurant websites). Advertisers have gotten so out of hand that people have come up with solutions like ClickToFlash and AdBlockPlus in order to combat the onslaught.

Think of Flash as roller coaster cars that have finally reached the top of the first hill. Once half of them have gone over the edge they’ll pull the remainder down pretty rapidly.

Technically…

The iPad is a very capable machine. Without regurgitating all of the specs featured on Apple’s page, it was easy to see just by watching the demos that it’s a much fuller experience than what’s currently achievable on the iPhone. The custom chip created by Apple’s own manufacturer is clocked at 1Ghz, which doesn’t sound like a lot by today’s multi-core multi-processor standards I realize. Though I’m sure when paired with a perfect storm of cache, RAM, and a fast hard drive (in this case, the fastest: SSD), you get a lot of power in a little device. To put this in perspective, the iPhone 3GS uses the last generation of the same processor clocking in at 600mhz and most definitely less cache. Double the speed of the 3GS and you’re in the ballpark of the iPad.

Summing It Up

After doing a little bit of research on the device from a technical standpoint as well as hearing what attendees had to say after the hands-on demos, I think it’s safe to say that despite a harsh words from the Apple fanatics who thought this device would somehow change the entire world for the better, it might actually sell better than anyone anticipates. I, personally, can’t wait to try one out for myself… At which point I’ll be more open to hearing out the fact-based ramblings and rantings of the unhappy campers.

1 – I have the overwhelming urge to injure anyone who calls it an “iTouch” and I don’t know why.

On Resolutions

Here's the weirdo, Janus.

Turns out that declaring a New Year’s resolution goes back a lot further than I had expected: 153 B.C. to be exact. When the Romans of this time were compiling the early iterations of what would eventually become the standard 365-day calendar, they named specific time periods (months, seasons, etc) after their Gods. At the head of this calendar they placed a mythical king of Rome, Janus, the God of beginnings. Janus was a pretty weird looking guy, mainly due to the fact that he had two heads each facing in opposite directions. Despite this malformation, the symbolism in his depicted imagery is readily apparent: Janus is looking forward and back, assumedly at the year which just passed and the one to come.

So when this time of “year” came around, Romans often attempted to resolve any differences or disputes with enemies through the offering of small gifts, usually farm produce or coins imprinted with the profile of Janus. Many centuries later the Catholic church got involved and, after much shuffling and sidestepping, separated the one day of gift giving and reflecting on the past year into two: Christmas and New Year’s Day. Janus is still with us at the beginning of every year, under the slightly altered moniker of January.

On Resolve

If I had to break down the most common resolutions I’ve heard they’d sound something like this: lose weight/get in shape, fix a wacky personality quirk, have a more balanced/active/social/adventurous life, spend more time with friends/family. If your resolutions sound something or exactly like that, then you’re definitely not alone. Hell, some of those are goals of mine; therein lies my problem with the word resolution: most people set short-term goals as their resolution as opposed to establishing an entirely new routine, a considerably more difficult task. If you really want to make a resolution, you must first draw up a blueprint of your ideal future and become completely enamored by the thought of seeing it through. Envision yourself a year from now having accomplished everything you just now resolved to do. From that moment, you’ll be keenly aware of the driving factors behind all of your motivations and decision making.

The reason why most of my previous resolutions have failed within the first month was a persistent need for instant gratification, thus defeating the point of a new year’s resolution. We live in a world where everything is on demand, so when the wheels of progress turn any slower than what we’re accustomed to (rapidly), it seems fruitless to continue what seems such a lengthy endeavor. While realizing this has changed my approach, old habits die hard (and often with a vengeance).

I’m starting to realize, albeit a few years late, the value of having a great plan. All of the steps leading up to the execution of that plan, regardless of success or failure, have excellent lessons to teach. I recall a particularly insightful quote from The Weather Man, the protagonist speaking about his evolution as a person:

“I remember once imagining what my life would be like, what I’d be like. I pictured having all these qualities, strong positive qualities that people could pick up on from across the room. But as time passed, few ever became any qualities that I actually had. And all the possibilities I faced and the sorts of people I could be, all of them got reduced every year to fewer and fewer. Until finally they got reduced to one, to who I am. And that’s who I am, the weather man.”

Despite not amassing all the qualities he wanted to possess, he still had a clear picture of the person he wanted to be from the outset, and I’m beginning to think that’s the most important piece of information a person can possess.

It’s with all this in mind over the past two weeks that I’ve carefully thought about what’s really important to me now, what will be important to me a year from now, and again beyond that. I was a little shocked about the difference in my thinking when comparing short term and long term scenarios since it’s something I rarely do, but entirely pleased with the outcome of my resolutions. And so…

The Resolutions

1. Nosce te ipsum — Latin for “Know thyself”, the key to knowing how to utilize all of your strengths is to also acknowledge your weaknesses. This is something that I’m going to explore more actively.
2. Be in the best shape of my life — A little vague, which is a good starting point. I’ve always been in very average shape up until lately, so anything above average is a success and everything above that is a soaring victory.
3. Spend less. Save more. — I always start saving money for short periods of time only to spend it unwisely (on bills or otherwise). I want to be on time with all of my payments, know exactly when to expect these bills to come in (or auto-pay), and perform preventive maintenance whenever possible to avoid unexpected speed bumps in my saving.
4. Invest more time into rewarding personal projects — Although I wish I was talking about earning the Platinum trophy in Modern Warfare 2, this one is more in the realm of the work I do, not only for my employer but also in my personal time. I’d like to start doing more freelance work, but being selective about projects. I’d like to make a video, a tool, a template, or an app that people actually want to use and content people actually want to read.
5. Put my family above all else — The combination of the aforementioned four resolutions should fulfill at least half of this one by ensuring that both Jackie and Bella are well cared for and supported to the best of my ability, the other half involves being a good father to Bella and partner to Jackie, always there to help in any way possible. Sacrifice, in essence. The other component to that is to try and ensure a good realtionship with the immediately family around me (moms, dads, siblings, etc.) because they’re the best family I have.

Those are my resolutions. I’ve seen the future, and the future is good.

• 
  This Is War
• 
  Sci-Fi Crimes
• 
  Merriweather Post Pavilion
• 
  Only By The Night
• 
  Raditude
• 
  The Resistance
• 
  Octahedron
• 
  Them Crooked Vultures
• 
  xx
• 
  Beggars

When I started down the path of web design it was with a small, but dedicated group of friends all beginning on Angelfire or Geocities (RIP) using WYSIWYG editors.  We quickly came to realize how stifling this method of design was and extended into coding our own HTML by hand (and learning it from the awesome HTMLGoodies.com).  From there, some of us began to explore the field of graphic design using Photoshop (5, at the time) to enhance the visuals of our designs while others took an interest in server side languages that were popular at the time, namely PHP and Perl.  We all helped each other in the areas we particularly excelled and there was always an air of camaraderie and constant collaboration as a means to success.

I don’t think any of us realized it at the time, but we were evolving and adapting as quickly as the web; embodying all of the underlying ideals that make it the impressively colossal entity it is today.  Those among us who contented themselves with a limited amount of knowledge either stagnated or lost interest completely.  The web has a funny way of separating the casual user from the digerati in swift fashion.

This spirit of constant improvement has to stay with you otherwise you’ll quickly lose footing in the field of web design or development. Are you a jQuery wizard?  Take the dive and master MooTools. Think you know PHP like the back of your hand? That means it’s time to learn Ruby on Rails to take your skills to the next level.   Do you know every Photoshop keyboard shortcut off the top of your head?  That doesn’t mean much unless you have a solid understanding of color theory and typography.

Every day the web makes tremendous strides in bold new directions and if you want to secure your place and be a part of it, then it’s almost a necessity to be constantly improving, learning new things, networking and, most importantly, applying yourself.  The wildly popular and successful tools that have been created to allow us to do these things quickly and easily (think Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, etc) were created by groups of people that probably started together not unlike my small circle years back.  If you keep the the spirit of change, collaboration, and camaraderie alive, you keep the spirit of the web alive.

Dual-Band Networking

This is the one I’m most interested in since I have a mixture of wireless devices in my household that don’t all support the latest in cutting edge WiFi technologies.  In previously versions of the Airport Extreme or Time Capsule, you were forced to choose between two frequencies depending on device support.  You could choose 802.11n running at 2.4Ghz and see a slight speed bump in your wireless connection and maximum compatibility OR you could opt for 802.11n running at 5Ghz for huge speed gains but sacrifice compatibility with the older (and possibly still more widely used) 802.11b/g.

These latest updates to both the Extreme and Time Capsule allow you to run two distinct wireless networks simultaneously at both the 2.4Ghz and 5Ghz frequency.  This allows all of your devices to connect to your network at the appropriate, and coincidentally, optimum level.  For my house, that means that my Macbook-using sister will be able to connect to the network using 802.11n at 5Ghz for top speed while my PS3 and iPhone can connect to the network at their maximum supported level of 802.11g at 2.4Ghz.

Before this came along I had to enable Internet Sharing from within System Preferences. Basically my iMac would take the connection coming in via ethernet and broadcast a wireless signal through its internal Airport card, thus creating a new, more compatible network.  The problems with this method are that your network name, at the very least.  Further, for the network to be available, the broadcasting computer (in this case, my iMac) has to be powered on.  Add to the fact that sharing the connection with this method doesn’t support the latest wireless security protocols and you can see how messy it gets.  An Airport Extreme with a Dual-Band network removes the need for any of these workarounds.

Guest Networking

A pretty small but neat feature that seems appropriate for business settings is the new Guest Networking, which allows you to create a separate network to allow users access to the internet, but not other devices on the network.  Practical application here would work best in a setting like a coffee shop offers you free WiFi with access to the internet, but also uses the same network to handle all internal network related tasks.

Worth It?

Well, that really depends on the individual.  I prefer to keep my router and backup solution separate, so for me the Time Capsule at its $300 and $500 price points just doesn’t seem feasible.  However, being an early adopter of the Airport Extreme I see a lot of promise with these revisions as opposed to previous ones (namely the small addition of Gigabit Ethernet).  This seems like it adds some truly useful features that would make managing my wireless network and devices much easier.  Anything that makes my digital life just a tad easier is a good thing in my book.

The biggest features of Safari 4 that Apple is championing are as follows: an updated interface, speed enhancements (particularly to the Javascript rendering engine), and Coverflow integration for a visual take on your browsing history and bookmarks.

For general use and day-to-day browsing I use Safari because it’s fast and integrates seamlessly into OS X. On the other hand, the web developer in me loves the extensibility of Firefox using it’s plugin architecture, so for all of my projects Firefox runs the show. Firefox is great for the functionality it extends me but I find it a bit sluggish on my machine (which is no slouch, either).  It locks up when loading pages that are heavy with either Flash or Javascript, which continually leads me back to Safari. When I heard about the further speed improvements that Apple was boasting in this newest beta, I didn’t think it was possible.  After 3 days, I’m a believer.

A Speed Explosion: ‘Nitro’

I always take Apple’s claims with a grain of salt. That’s not to say that they’re lying, but I’ve found they do have a slight tendency to stretch the truth. Here’s an excerpt from their Safari 4 performance page:

Safari executes JavaScript up to 30 times faster than Internet Explorer 7 and more than 3 times faster than Firefox 3 based on performance in leading industry benchmark tests: iBench and SunSpider.

In addition to superior JavaScript performance, Safari offers top-flight HTML performance — the best on any platform — loading pages 3 times faster than Internet Explorer 7 and almost 3 times faster than Firefox 3.

I don’t run benchmarking tests and really have no desire to. I base my speed judgements on actual usage and by all measures, this browser is fast. My test basically involved browsing to a few of my usual haunts: Digg, Vimeo, Youtube, this site, etc on Safari 3 and then installing the Safari 4 beta and revisiting.  Everything just felt snappier and more responsive.

A Big Talking Point: The Interface

Apple seemed to have borrowed one or two things from the Google school of browser design for this latest version. Two interface elements in particular stand out: Tabs on the top, and “Top Sites”. We’ll cover them in that order.

Apple has turned the title bar of their browser into the tabs area, something which many will undoubtedly have to get used to.  Comparisons have been drawn to Google’s Chrome browser, which is only available on Windows at the time of this writing. Here’s a picture for your review:

Safari on top, Chrome on the bottom in blue

I think Chrome has the slight edge here only for a few reasons: I like the fixed width tabs better than Safari’s auto-width tabs which resize to span the length of the title bar.  Also, in Chrome the URL field doubles as the search bar, which is not just a wonderful bit of minimalism, but also serves to keep the interface nice and clean.

Another addition to the Safari feature list is Top Sites, which displays a list of live thumbnails of the sites you visit most.  Again, this is a feature that Chrome introduced when it first launched, but Apple decided to be a bit more ostentatious and add a bit of perspective to their list.

In all fairness, both “tabs on top” and “Top Sites” had been in the Opera web browser for quite a while.  Though not quite as sophisticated as Top Sites or Chrome’s Most Visited, Opera’s Speed Dial served as a handy way to reach your most visited pages.

The final interface change is 100% Apple: Coverflow for browsing your History and Bookmarks. I’m in the crowd that uses Coverflow to show off OS X to impressionable friends and family members, but not for much else.  The implementation in Safari is just another place for me to ignore it entirely, though I do think it has practical application in the realm of browsing your history, which are sites that generally aren’t bookmarked and can be more easily recalled by layout/design as opposed to name. I’ll give it an honest try, but I’m not sure how useful it will actually be.

In Summation

Safari 4 is definitely a worthy upgrade in terms of speed and a big stride towards a more minimal browsing experience. The repositioned tabs may take some getting used to, only because we’ve been conditioned to expect tabs under the URL box for so long, but I was back in the swing of things by the end of my first full day of browsing.  When you subtract all of the glitzy features that Apple has added, namely Top Sites and Coverflow, what you’re left with is still an incredibly fast and powerful browser. Just what I was looking for.

In addition to coming across as a complete aditorial, I’ve never seen such downright fanboyism in my life. Without further ado, let’s explore the reasons why Don Reisinger is going to wait for Windows 7 before buying a new computer.

In my testing, Windows 7 isn’t just an outstanding operating system that provides an ideal experience, but it’s also a great alternative to Mac OS X. I find it superior to Apple’s software on almost every level. It’s that good.

Translation: From playing around with the free beta for about a hour before LOST came on, I’ve come to the conclusion that it’s shinier than OS X. Clearly, the shiniest operating system is the best operating system.

I will say that Vista improved after SP1 was released, but what still plagues the software–bloat and resource-intensiveness, to just name a few issues–is present even after Service Pack 1. 

While I’m primarily a Mac user, I have come into contact with Vista in work environments as well as on the computers of friends and family and I’ve never had a problem with it.  Sure, it comes pre-installed with a good amount of stuff (especially compared to the sparse Windows 7 installation), but on a capable machine Vista runs really well.  It sounds like Don expects Vista to run as fast as XP on an XP-era machine, which is ridiculous.

I’m a firm believer that Windows 7 will be remembered as one of the greatest operating systems Microsoft has ever released.

That’s not a terrible thing to say, but bear in mind that Microsoft has been known to release such abominations as Windows ME, so only time will tell on this one.

I want my next computer to run the very best operating system on the market. And although that may be Mac OS X today, when Windows 7 is released, I think it will easily capture the crown from Apple.

So, that’s one of the final lines of the article and he never, not once, gave a reason as to why he thinks Windows 7 is better than the ambiguous “Mac OS X” (Leopard? Tiger? ….Puma?) or even Vista.  After reading this dribble I can sum up all he had to say in one line:  ”Vista sucks.  Here’s hoping Windows 7 comes out this year because I’ll totally buy it.  It’ll be better than Mac OS X because… it will be.”

He tries to establish that he’s non-biased by saying things that have been regurgitated a million times before like “I’ll stick with XP because it’s just more stable” and “Vista is bloated”, etc, but the mere fact that he didn’t mention one single feature about Windows 7 that he likes calls into question what the extent of his “testing” actually entailed.

It’s people like Don that the general populace actually depends on for reliable tech information; he has a column on Cnet called “The Digital Home”, so somebody has to read his stuff and like it.  It’s important for people like to him to know the facts and report them accordingly as opposed to speculating wildly about release dates and OS superiority based on using beta software. Everyone’s mileage varies when it comes to computing experiences, but let’s all try not to have a geekgasm when Microsoft does something right.

Stay tuned next week for my new article: “I’ll wait for Windows 7 to be released before shouting from a soapbox how wonderful it is.”

♣ Original Article